Eagle Ford

Overview

The Eagle Ford is a shale play in South Texas that is best known for producing dry gas, wet gas, NGLs, condensate, and oil. The shale formation runs from the U.S.-Mexico border north of Larerdo to just north of Houston, and is a geological formation directly beneath the Austin Chalk. The play is 400 miles long and 50 miles wide, and produces from various depths between 4,000 and 14,000 feet.

Based on capital invested ($30 billion in 2013 alone), the Eagle Ford is the largest oil and gas development globally. This formation has been a key player in the shale revolution due to its ability to produce gas and more oil than other traditional shale plays. The Eagle Ford contains a high hydrocarbon shale percentage, upwards to 70% in South Texas, which makes it more brittle and “fracable.” The play exerienced signficant crude oil production growth from 2010 to 2012, going from 50 Mbbl/d to 800 Mbbl/d. The growth continued through much of 2015, and is currently still producing over 1 MMbbl/d.